fresh n juicy chunks of oyster :: RTW travel blog

I don't know if I can quite do justice to Rio Caura at this moment as I'm recovering from a nasty jungle bug or something. Suffice it to say there's been a lot of unpleasantness going on today for me but luckily I seem to have weathered the brunt of it, i.e. I can keep fluids down and in recent developments also solid food has stayed put!
But anyway, since I have nothing better to do right now except for drinking water, gagging on nasty rehydrating solution and sitting around, I may as well recount some of the Caura experience now.
Rio Caura is a long long river about four hours drive South-West of Ciudad Bolivar, snaking its way through thick rainforest and by settlements of the indigenous population. Tourism is fairly limited there, especially when compared to the Angel Falls, also near to here, where an airplane lands every few minutes carrying those eager to see the world famous trickle of the world's tallest waterfall. But anyway, I'm sidetracking and being bitchy so I will instead continue with what I did see.
Part of the experience were hours and hours of riding by motorised canoe down the river, jungle everywhere, occasionally a hut or tiny village passing us by. Lots of jumping into the river from the boat when the sun would get too unbearable. Realising how difficult it is to sleep in a hammock with a sunburnt back (ouch). Unsuccessfully fishing in the rapids after clambering over rocks for half an hour (this kid who was our part-guide and cook, Elio, of course caught a huge catfish within 10 minutes - there must have been some trick he wasn't telling us...). Amazingly impressive waterfalls rewarding a three hour hike through the jungle (the most impressive, close-up pictures of which are unfortunately unavailable after I took my digital camera river walking in my pocket - not a great idea - however, I'm happy to report that it is back amongst the living again after an extended drying session).
The two Spaniards' command of the Spanish language and talking about football landed us an apparently rare invitation to hang around with the Indios (Yekwane in this case), consuming considerable amounts of the local alcoholic beverages made of Yuca (Yerake in its unfiltered, chunky, vomit-like variant and Soquruhute (or something like it with weird weird spelling), which is the clear filtered form. Both quite potent...)
Also spent several nights in various beach huts and swam lots (or 'washed' depending on definitions). Also got a great view from a granite plateau over the seemingly infinite expanse of rainforest and the Caura winding through it (no digital pictures yet again as they fell victim to the temporary casualty of my camera).
On the way back by boat both motors broke and parts from one were butchered to make the other one work. We also ran out of gas resulting in us having to beg the few passing boats for some to get us back. After that a bridge giving 'easy' access to our departure point from the river had washed away so we had adventurous jeep and taxi rides to get us back over partly 'paved' roads that looked like meteorite storm impact sites and through rainy darkness where you could barely see the road.
And then, as crowning glory the next day, I get to experience that favourite bane of alltravelerss: stomach 'issues'. I guess I can go home now. But at any rate, I'm feeling much better now and if fully rested may still proceed to Santa Elena tomorrow as planned. As ever, I remain sickly yours. (pity me! :)

ps: Yes, I do look incredibly scruffy right now (yes, I guess I'm just inviting in the obvious jokes with that comment).